1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of controlling the management of annular anchoring structures in a process and a plant for building tyres for vehicle wheels.
2. Description of the Related Art
A tyre for vehicle wheels generally comprises a carcass structure including at least one carcass ply having respectively opposite end flaps in engagement with respective annular anchoring structures, integrated into the regions usually identified as “beads”, having an inner diameter substantially corresponding to a so-called “fitting diameter” of the tyre on a respective mounting rim.
In the present specification and in the following claims by “annular anchoring structure” it is intended a tyre element comprising a bead core. Preferably this component comprises a bead core and a filling insert. More preferably this component comprises a bead core and a filling insert both enclosed by an edge.
Document WO 2010/70374 in the name of the same Applicant describes a plant and a process for building green tyres for vehicle wheels. The process comprises the steps of: building a carcass structure on a first forming drum in at least one carcass-structure building line including a plurality of work stations disposed in a sequential series, in which the carcass structure comprises at least one carcass ply and a pair of annular anchoring structures; building a crown structure on at least one second building drum in at least one crown-structure building line comprising a plurality of work stations disposed in a sequential series, in which the crown structure comprises at least one belt structure; shaping said carcass structure into a toroidal conformation assembling it to said crown structure in at least one shaping and assembling station. The carcass-structure building line comprises a work station for applying a pair of the aforesaid annular anchoring structures to the opposite axial ends of the carcass ply/plies and can further be provided with devices for turning up the ends of the carcass ply/plies on the carcass ply itself so as to form loops containing the annular anchoring structures.
Document U.S. Pat. No. 3,700,526 discloses an automatic machine for producing green tyres. The machine comprises a plurality of interconnected and dependent stations in which specialised operations are carried out by mechanical devices acting in sequence. The machine comprises a plurality of building drums continuously moving between horizontal stationary tables, at which winding of material on the drums occurs, while said drums are being moved across the table on which the material is positioned. The drums with the wound material are sent to and positioned on turrets for receiving the bead cores and tread band that are subsequently unloaded from the collapsed drums for storage. At least one pair of racks capable of horizontally storing the bead cores are positioned close to the turret. A transfer arm is associated with each rack for moving the bead cores on the turret and means is provided for bringing the bead cores horizontally arranged on the rack into engagement with the transfer arm.